What if I told you that you could buy a brand new working computer for only $30? You would probably think I was out of my mind! Well, it’s true, but it’s not the type of computer that you are generally used to seeing. I’m not talking about your typical laptop or desktop or even a handheld device. What I am referring to is actually only the size of a credit card, and it is called the Raspberry Pi. It is a fully working computer but there is one catch. It is only a computer. You have to supply your own screen, keyboard, and mouse. This is where your creativity can go wild and this is why we have fallen in love with the Pi and utilize it in our homeschool. Rather than going out and purchasing several computers for our homeschool (which we actually were contemplating) a friend told us that we could use the Pi. We were going to connect it to an old computer screen we had but decided to connect it to our flat screen TV instead. We don’t have broadcast TV and only used it with a DVD player. Now, we have the Pi attached to it so it can stream anything from the Internet. We attached a keyboard and a mouse to the Pi as well and my children use it for subjects requiring an Internet connection. It had been working so well that we purchased a second Pi and if we need more computers in the future we now have an inexpensive option as a go-to.
What the Pi is primarily popular for is its coding programs. If your child is into coding or has been wanting to learn, the Pi provides many different types of programs that they can experiment with. If your child’s favorite program is not on there, you can always download it. My two oldest boys are pre-teens and have become fond of the programs Scratch and Wings 3D but other programs can found on the Pi such as Python and Kodi. If you have children that are already familiar with coding then you might have a clue as to what I am talking about. For others it probably seems like I am talking code right now! If these program names and concepts are unfamiliar to you don’t be intimidated. Introducing coding to children at a young age is a wonderful idea and even if we adults don’t quite catch on, they can move light years ahead of us in the technological world because of it!
The person who introduced out family to the Pi was a friend of mine from my college days who was a computer science major. When we entered college as freshmen, Yahoo had just recently hit the scene and Google hadn’t even been established yet! More and more students were entering college as computer science majors because they had a sense that there was a future in this field and they were right. My friend’s roommate (whom I thought was the biggest nerd at the time) went on to be a creator of several apps and developed one of the language programs on Duolingo. My friend has been highly successful as well and my kids love picking his brain about coding hoping to one day develop a computer game of their own.
Even though my children are not big computer game players, they love to create, so being able to create their own game or program that is clean, fun and entertaining is an exciting challenge for them. On rainy days or afternoons when there isn’t much to do around the house they love to get on the Pi and create something. In addition to what is provided on the Pi, you can add your own photos and sounds and make some pretty interesting creations. Or if you are just in the mood for a good old fashioned game of Pacman, you can play that too! If you decide that the Pi is something you want to try in your home or homeschool I would encourage you to get the Raspberry Pi 3 and look online for the Raspbian download. You also can find a case on Ebay to protect the Pi for only $2 but it is not required for it to work. Enjoy!
